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PESHAWAR, Aug 24 (APP): Awara, a 22 years old transgender woman, celebrated for her radiant beauty and mesmerizing performances at wedding parties that left audiences spellbound, saw her life takes a devastating turn at the peak of her youth when she was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.
The news of the deadly, yet treatable disease was like a bomb shell for Awara, but instead of seeking timely treatment she kept her diagnosis hidden from her peers due to fear of losing livelihood and being evicted from the shared room she called home after leaving her family in Rawalpindi.
“Awara’s health began to decline with weakness and anaemia clearly visible in her body. Yet, she dismissed it each time and blamed relentless fever as sole cause of her suffering,” recalls Waraie (her colleague whose name in Pushto means petite).
“Dancing at weddings and social gatherings while battling illness became exhausting for Awara and her health deteriorated rapidly
due to avoiding of medical treatment, leaving her bedridden within months, ”shares Salim, a roommate of Awara who served as her chaperone during visits to marriage gatherings.
Salim said he took Awara to Lady Reading Hopsital (LRH) for treatment where he learned about her HIV infection.
We immediately took her to AIDs treatment center at LRH and were informed by doctors that she is already registered with them but delay in getting medicine has caused sever complications.
Awara’s final days were very heart-breaking as she wept in pain and due to missing of her parents and siblings in this difficult phase of life, Salim relates.
“The practice of concealing illness particularly HIV/AIDs is prevalent among the transgender community due to societal stigma, psychological trauma, fear of rejection from community and discrimination within healthcare setting where they are often denied emergency treatment, refused routine medical care and subjected to harassment and abuse,” commented Arzhoo, a trans right activist and Executive Director Manzil Foundation.
Arzhoo mentioned that many transgender people are living with HIV/AIDs but due to societal stigma they are avoiding treatment from medical care centres, putting their own health at serious risk.
She informed that recently a transgender from Malakand district arrived Peshawar in a serious condition and is taken to HIV/AIDs treatment centre at Lady Reading Hospital.
“Pepsi, the transgender from Malakand district who is shifted to Peshawar, has delayed her medical treatment for nearly around two years and now her health has severely deteriorated, leaving her in critical condition,” Arzhoo informed.
According to Provincial AIDS Control Programme, a concerning increase has been registered in HIV/AIDs infection in the province.
The number of HIV patients in KP till June 2025 has reached to 8398 out of which 6448 are men, 2119 women, 197 transgender and 445 children. In the initial six months of 2025, around 741 new HIV patients are registered in KP.
There are a total of 13 Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) centres in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with highest number of registered HIV positive patients at Peshawar.
“Awara could have challenged the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDs by seeking proper medical advice and starting treatment immediately after her diagnosis, saving her own life and setting an example for others,” regrets Farzana, President TransAction KP.
The fear of losing her livelihood and being evicted from community claimed her own life at the peak of her youth, leaving the community in a state of deep dejection and grief, Farzana lamented.
“In addition to transgender individuals, who already belong to a marginalized community, men and women living with HIV/AIDS also face severe stigma, which often discourages them from visiting treatment centres to collect their routine medicines,” said Nayyer Mujeeb, an HIV patient and President of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter of the Association of People Living with HIV Pakistan (APLHIV).
Nayyer told APP that she is in contact with several HIV patients who are hesitant to seek treatment publicly and to ensure continuity of medical care, she delivers medications directly to them at their homes.
“Transgender individuals living with HIV face dual crisis, the virus itself and the devastating impact of societal stigma,” reads a research report jointly compiled by Blue Veins and National Commission on Human Rights (NCHR).
The report, first ever in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, aimed to comprehensively examine the impact of HIV stigma on transgender persons and its broader implications on healthcare access, social inclusion, and legal protections.
Titled as `Understanding the Impact of HIV stigma on Transgender Person Living with HIV in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’, the study finds that many transgender experience social exclusion including rejection by families, employment discrimination and even violence, pushing them further into vulnerability.
Structural inequalities such as economic marginalization, lack of legal protection, and social exclusion push many transgender individuals into high-risk behaviours, including sex work and unsafe injection practices, which increase their vulnerability to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, the study mentioned.
“Exclusion of transgender persons from national healthcare programs, combined with legal ambiguities and widespread discrimination, has resulted in severe health disparities, particularly in the context of HIV prevention, treatment, and care,” observed Shawana Shah, Programme Director The Hawa Lur (Daughter of Eve).
Shawana informed that Da Hawa Lur recently conducted a research study to document and understand the experiences, needs and challenges of transgender individuals at the grassroots level.
The study suggested for an inclusive, gender-affirming healthcare policy to reduce HIV/AIDS risks among the transgender community through their equitable participation in treatment programmes.
“She stressed urgent need to enforce the Transgender Protection Policy at the provincial level to safeguard the rights of marginalized communities and ensure equitable access to essential services. This enforcement is critical for advancing public health and addressing systemic neglect.”